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Ken Shimura

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Ken Shimura
志村しむらけん
Born
Yasunori Shimura (志村しむら 康徳やすのり)

(1950-02-20)20 February 1950[1]
Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan
Died29 March 2020(2020-03-29) (aged 70)
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
EducationTokyo Metropolitan Kurume High School [ja]
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actor
  • voice actor
  • singer
  • television personality
Years active1972–2020
Notes
Same year/generation as:
Beat Takeshi
Shofukutei Tsurube II

Yasunori Shimura (志村しむら 康徳やすのり, Shimura Yasunori, February 20, 1950 – March 29, 2020), known professionally as Ken Shimura (志村しむら けん, Shimura Ken), was a Japanese comedian. He was born in Higashimurayama, Tokyo.

He started his career as an assistant to the comedy band The Drifters, led by Chōsuke Ikariya. In 1974, He joined the group, replacing Chū Arai. He appeared as members of the group on popular comedy shows that gained massive popularity from the 1970s to the 1980s. Hachiji-dayo! Zen'in-shūgō achieved the highest viewership rating of 50.5%, and The Drifters Daibakushō (ドリフ大だい爆笑ばくしょう) reached 40.4% viewership. These shows made us nationally popular. After the end of Hachiji-dayo! in 1985, he began to work independently as well. He appeared on shows like Kato-chan Ken-chan Gokigen TV (加かトちゃんケンちゃんごきげんテレビ), with Cha Katō, a fellow member of the group, Shimura Ken no Daijōbu-dā (志村しむらけんのだいじょうぶだぁ)," and Shimura Ken no Baka Tono-sama (志村しむらけんのバカ殿様とのさま), portraying characters like Baka Tono-sama (バカ殿様とのさま, Stupid Lord) and Hen na Oji-san (変へんなおじさん, Strange Older Man). These characters became highly popular.

Shimura's comedic work was inspired in part by that of Jerry Lewis.[2]

Career

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Shimura became known in 1974, replacing Chu Arai[3] in the famous comedy group The Drifters.[4] With the help of the other members of the group, he learned to act and make the audience laugh. Over time, he showed a knack for comedy. Some memorable pictures of that time are the mustache dance, in which he starred with Cha Katō and the song Higashimurayama, referring to his homeland.

With this group, he participated in the weekly program Hachiji Dayo! Zen'inshugo! from 1974 to 1985, reaching 40% to 50% of viewers at their best. From 1977, he also participated in the television program Dorifu Daibakusho ("Dorifu, big burst of laughter"), which were special sketches, totaling one and a half hours. It is currently possible to see members together only on television specials.

The rapport Shimura had with Cha Katō, also a member of Higashimurayama, kept them together on television. In 1986, they created the  Kato-chan Ken-chan Gokigen Terebi, which aired until 1992. In The Detective Story, they are two detective friends who get into a lot of trouble. The high ratings allowed for high-cost scenes with exploding cars, helicopters and crowds. A famous painting of this time is Shimura as a monk, who asked people to repeat the words "Daijoubuda, ... ueh, ueh, ueh", whereas "daijoubuda" literally means "I'm all right."

This program ran about three times a year since 1986. In it, Shimura is a feudal lord ("tono") who does not want to rule and only thinks about having fun. The character was created at the time of Hachiji Dayo! Zen'inshugo! and is characterized by an all-white face, extremely thick eyebrows and hair tied at the top of the head. The program always featured celebrity stakes.

His show, Ken Shimura Daijoubuda, a satire of modern Japanese society, aired from 1987 to 1993.[5]

Post-Daijoubuda

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Following up his previous big hits, Shimura led several shows, mostly on the Fuji TV network. From 1996, he began working with newbie Yuuka. Shimura's participation in the career of humorists (such as Katsuhiro Higo and Ryuuhei Ueshima, and Haruna Kondou and Haruka Minowa) and other celebrities is notorious.

  • 1993–1995: Shimura Ken wa Ikagadeshou ("How about a Ken Shimura") – with Masashi Tashiro, Yoko Ishino, Nobuyoshi Kuwano, Minayo Watanabe, etc.
  • 1995–1996: Shimura Ken no Ore ga Nani Shitano yo ("Ken Shimura's What the Hell Did I do?") – with Masashi Tashiro, Nobuyoshi Kuwano, Minayo Watanabe, etc.
  • 1996–1997: Shimura X – with Maiko Kawakami, Yukiko Someya, Kazumi Murata, Yuuka, Housei Yamasaki and Ryuuhei Ueshima.
  • 1997–1998: Shimura XYZ – with Maiko Kawakami, Yukiko Someya, Kazumi Murata, Yuuka, Housei Yamasaki and Ryuuhei Ueshima.
  • 1998–2000: Shimura X-Tengoku ("Shimura Paradise X") – with Maiko Kawakami, Yukiko Someya, Kazumi Murata, Yuuka, Housei Yamasaki and Ryuuhei Ueshima.
  • 2000–2002: Henna Ojisan TV ("Strange Uncle's TV") – with Yuuka, Katsuhiro Higo, Ryuuhei Ueshima, Masanori Ishii and Yoshiyuki Ishizuka.
  • 2002–2004: Shimura Ryuu ("Shimura's Style") – with Yuuka, Katsuhiro Higo, Ryuuhei Ueshima, Masanori Ishii, Yoshiyuki Ishizuka, Chizuru Yamada and Ayumi Kato.
  • 2004: Shimura Juku ("Shimura's Class") – with Yuuka, Katsuhiro Higo, Ryuuhei Ueshima, Masanori Ishii, Yoshiyuki Ishizuka, Chizuru Yamada, Ayumi Kato, etc.
  • 2004–2005: Shimura Tsuu ("Shimura, a tasteful person") – with Yuuka, Katsuhiro Higo, Ryuuhei Ueshima, Jun Natsukawa, Chizuru Yamada, etc.
  • 2005–2008: Shimura Ken no Daijoubuda II ("Ken Shimura's I'm All Right II") – with Yuuka, Katsuhiro Higo, Ryuuhei Ueshima, Wakako Shimazaki, Jun Natsukawa and Chen Qu.
  • 2004–2020: Tensai! Shimura Dōbutsuen ("Genius! Shimura Zoo") – with chimpanzee Pankun and his son.
  • 2008–2020: Shimura Ya Desu ("It's Shimura's Store") – with Yuuka, Katsuhiro Higo, Ryuuhei Ueshima, Haruna Kondou, Haruka Minowa, Emi Kobayashi and Erika Yazawa.

In 2001, Shimura formed a duet with Naoko Ken as "Ken♀♂Ken" in "Ginza atari de Gin Gin Gin" (銀座ぎんざあたりでギンギンギン).

In 2006, he formed and led his own comedy theater, Shimurakon (Shimura Spirit).[6]

Tensai! Shimura Dōbutsuen continued airing after Shimura's death, with on air remembrances of his time with the animals. On July 4, 2020, it was reported that Nippon TV had decided to end the broadcast, citing that it would be painfully difficult and heartbreaking to continue filming in a set filled with memories, that was destined for Shimura's advice. The last broadcast was set for September.[7][8]

Illness and death

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Shimura was hospitalized for severe pneumonia on 20 March 2020; he lost consciousness after being anesthetized and hooked up to a ventilator on the following day. Then, on 23 March it was confirmed that he had COVID-19.[9][10][11] He was the first Japanese tarento to have his COVID-19 diagnosis made public during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.[10]

On 24 March, Shimura was transferred to a hospital where ECMO was available.[10] He had been scheduled to star in the film It's a Flickering Life [ja], but his participation was cancelled on 26 March.[12] He was also slated to carry the Olympic torch through part of Tokyo prior to the 2020 Tokyo games.[3]

Shimura died on 29 March 2020 at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine [ja] in Shinjuku, Tokyo.[13][14][15] He was 70 years old.[16]

Filmography

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Discography

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[edit]
Title Year Peak chart positions Sales Album Certifications
JPN
"Aīn Taisō" (アイ〜ン体操たいそう) / "Aīn! Dance no Uta" (アイ〜ン!ダンスの唄うた)
(as Bakatono-sama with Mini-Moni Hime) 		2002 3
  • JPN: 200,000+
 Mini-Moni Song Daihyakka Ikkan
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 68歳さい誕生たんじょう日び Archived 30 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Shimura's Official Blog. 19 February 2018
  2. ^ "Ken Shimura dead of coronavirus; Japanese comic was 70 years old". USA Today. 30 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Japanese comedian Ken Shimura dies of coronavirus-related pneumonia". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  4. ^ Frishberg, Hannah (30 March 2020). "Ken Shimura, 'Japan's Robin Williams,' dies from coronavirus at 70". New York Post. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  5. ^ Mijola, Camille (30 April 2020). "Ken Shimura: Comedian whose slapstick characters and sketches made him a household name in Japan". The Independent. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  6. ^ Will Ripley; Yoko Wakatsuki (30 March 2020). "Ken Shimura, famed Japanese comedian, dead at 70 after contracting coronavirus". CNN. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  7. ^ ""相しょう葉はどうぶつ園えん"が１０月がつ開園かいえん 日にっテレ系けい「天才てんさい！志村しむらどうぶつ園えん」は９月くがつ終了しゅうりょう". sanspo.com (in Japanese). 4 July 2020. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  8. ^ "『天才てんさい!志村しむらどうぶつ園えん』16年ねんの歴史れきしに幕まく 10月がつから相あい葉は雅紀まさのりMCの新しん番組ばんぐみ". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). 4 July 2020. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  9. ^ "志村しむらけん、新型しんがたコロナ陽性ようせいで入院にゅういん中ちゅうと発表はっぴょう「回復かいふくに全力ぜんりょくで努つとめております」 感染かんせん経路けいろは不明ふめい". オリコンニュース. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  10. ^ a b c "重症じゅうしょう化か…志村しむらけん 人工じんこう心肺しんぱい装着そうちゃく 新型しんがたコロナ感染かんせん公表こうひょう 芸能げいのう界かいに"濃厚のうこう接触せっしょく者しゃ"がいる懸念けねん". Sponichi Annex. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  11. ^ "志村しむらけんさん 新型しんがたコロナ 肺炎はいえんの症状しょうじょう…現在げんざいも入院にゅういん中ちゅう". FNN. 25 March 2020. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  12. ^ "志村しむらけん、初はつ主演しゅえん映画えいが「キネマの神様かみさま」出演しゅつえんを辞退じたい コロナ感染かんせんで事務所じむしょ「申もうし訳わけなく思おもっております」". www.sponichi.co.jp. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Japanese comedian Ken Shimura dies from coronavirus: NHK". Reuters. 29 March 2020.
  14. ^ 志村しむらけんさん死去しきょ　新型しんがたコロナ感染かんせんで肺炎はいえん. The Nikkei. 30 March 2020
  15. ^ コロナ感染かんせんで予断よだんを許ゆるさない志村しむらけんの病状びょうじょうと「ナゾの感染かんせんルート」. Friday Digital. 29 March 2020
  16. ^ Rich, Motoko (2 April 2020). "Ken Shimura, Comedian Whose Sketches Delighted Japan, Dies at 70". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  17. ^ "ロラックスおじさんの秘密ひみつの種たね". The Cinema. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  18. ^ "一般いっぱん社団しゃだん法人ほうじん 日本にっぽんレコード協会きょうかい" (Enter "ミニモニ。" in the アーティスト parameter and then click 検索けんさく). Recording Industry Association of Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 February 2020.
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